


Ashes of Animosity

by shoyru2257



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Aphrodisiacs, Bittersweet Ending, Body Modification, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Developing Relationship, Drug-Induced Sex, M/M, Sexual Content, may add/delete paring tags accordingly, the character's views don't necessarily reflect the author's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-12-23 14:44:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11991915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shoyru2257/pseuds/shoyru2257
Summary: (Enstars multi-ship Xianxia/Chinese Fantasy AU)"Every time the boy recalled this encounter, he would rekindle his belief that the vicissitudes of life truly did mean well."A mystical flame, swords of legend, the walking dead; humans, demons, anima, celestials, deities, and those in between – Tsukasa had lived his life far from all of those, until the betrayal of one of his sworn brothers, and the appearance of a quirky man on a mission.Love and hate both old and new are brought to the surface, and an adventure to learn more about the land he lives in becomes a quest to save it.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting of two forces.

Silvery waves nipped at his heels and tumbled down the beach, washing the colorless sands clean of the tiny imprints that marked his passing. The young boy trudged towards the shore sluggishly, as if he were in a trance. Yet his stride never faltered.

The blue flicker in the distance marked his destination, as a boat was draw to a lighthouse in harsh stormy seas. Except he was the light – the fire that forged the Swords of Beginning, was the start of civilization – and "it", his mind chanted, was the enemy, the enemy.

_The dream will be reached._

Every fiber of his being burned; his blood incensed with scorching heat, it spread from his body to the ambient air, the silken sands, the wavering waters, leaving nothing but flickers of lingering, torrid whispers which embraced the ashes that had once been.

Then came the rumbling.

It appeared that not all the water had evaporated upon exposure to his heat. Most of it had made a swift, tactical retreat, rolling back from the shore in preparation for its final attack.

The boy continued his slow, steady trek toward drier lands. The prospect of a groundswell instilled no fear in him, for it was nothing before even the tiniest spark of the primordial flame. All he had to do was let go, and the fire would destroy and create anew.

There was but one existence that could match its might, as its subduing was the flame's reason for being. Playing masquerade under the mask of a human, the chaos incarnate made its first and final stand, sinking proud ships of the merchants who had taken him in. The flame, likewise posing as a young boy, rose from their remains to meet that challenge.

Neither nature's wrath nor man-made calamities could harm him – but did the same stand true for the chaos incarnate? The flame would lose its purpose if it were submerged by the waters, sent drifting to another land not under the jurisdiction of these gods.

_The dream will be reached._

The rumbling increased in volume. The boy marched on, though now with haste in his step.

Facing the setting sun, the chaos incarnate sat in the shallow waters, legs crossed, glassy eyes a reflection of the twilight skies. It seemed unaware of the incoming threat. Or did it simply not care?

The flame should have surged forward, engulfed the chaos incarnate in a white-hot inferno. The chaos incarnate should have case a deluge of chaos upon that flame of the highest purity, corroded it and everything else until there was naught but equality.

However, none of this happened.

Instead…

"Live... on!"

A miracle happened.

The boy grabbed the hand of the chaos incarnate – no, another boy like him, they were not so different after all – and the two of them felt many things. They cried out their agony as their entwined hands were unmade, disintegrating into nothing except for the searing pain that wracked their bodies. The connecting arms also met this change as the two were reminded of the respective purposes in life, and met the scorn of their sires and destiny both predetermined and yet to be decided.

Though he did not go. And he did not resist.

_The dream will be reached_ – the spell was broken, and the two were stigmatized with curse of mortality.

With a mighty boom that resonated within their hearts, the waters slammed and crashed against and around the two. The trees they clung onto for dear life withstood the onslaught, perhaps understanding that those two in its care were the ones who would decide the fate of the world.

Eventually the wave receded, and the environs returned to what it had been before. They did not, however.

During the many, many years of his life, every time the boy recalled this encounter, he would rekindle his belief that the vicissitudes of life truly did mean well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This kind of AU seems interesting to me, so I'm giving fic writing a shot!


	2. Demon of the Heart - 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young master of the Suou clan celebrates New Year's Eve with his parents, his clansmen, and a thieving lunatic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of graphic violence in here; sorry for forgetting to post this first time round!
> 
> (I foresee some pretty... macabre scenes in the near and distant future, so... just a heads up.)

A young boy pushed open the flap leading to a small chamber, and went inside.

Small feet brought him to the low wooden table situated near the back, and he placed his family's offering amidst the semicircle of incense stubs and shriveled up plants. It wasn’t much, for rations were dwindling along with the faith of a good many parched townsfolk, though some families still awaited the mercy of the gods.

The young boy stepped back, straightened his robes, and knelt to the floor, kowtowing before the rickety altar as he spoke his prayers. "Please give us rain, o'masters of Heaven, so we won't be thirsty anymore and everyone can smile again. I'll come by every day, so you have to help us, ‘kay?"

A kneel and a bow was repeated once more before the boy made his exit.

As the shuffling of footsteps faded out, a hand materialized out of thin air, swiping the offering from the ceramic plate. Ivory bone extended from the appendage, quickly followed by tendrils of tissue and flesh looping, intertwining with each other to form a body resembling that of a human’s. Golden-green eyes framed by shaggy orange hair fluttered open as a sun-kissed layer of skin completed the look. The man alighted on the ground, raising a small cloud of dust with the little pivot in place he did.

He shoved the offering past his lips unhesitatingly, chewed, let out a mmrph sound, as if judgmental of something that, frankly speaking, did not look all that appetizing. Choosing to swallow was his blunder, and his payment took the form of a choking, coughing fit.

"Agh, ack!? Dregs are the best delicacies," he paused to gag, "you could offer your gods?"

_The offerings are not supposed to be directly ingested – surely you know that?_ The resonant voice of his god sounded in his head. He could have sworn it was more contumelious than the norm, but gods didn't speak using such intonations - or so he was told.

_I do, I do!_ The man assured. _Man, a total bummer - thirteen years… nay, eighteen years, and the world of the living hasn’t changed the way it metes out punishment at all. "Serves them right~!" is what I'd like to say, but it seems that that is not the case this time?_

_Your duty takes priority over the reformation of a bond you severed yourself._

It wasn’t much of a surprise that his mind-reading god could discern his true intentions. _Gotcha. If that lot have become the ringleaders of mayhem – for real this time, then I have to stop them. Especially because I sorta-kinda thought of them as friends, even if they sorta-kinda didn't._ "Blegh, this poor windpipe of mine." He grimaced at the dryness in his throat. "That sure went down the wrong hole. And there's no water to wash away the flaky bits, I hear!"

_I suppose you are a deity after all, came the voice of his god, who really should have anticipated that the he, stubborn as a bull, would not back down so easily. Very well, you may alleviate the suffering of these poor people and your windpipe if it does not hinder your duty to your god, or the making of your tragicomic romance._

_Tragicomic… somehow, it seems like you're already having_ way _too much fun on the rafters. Thanks for the imprimatur, though. I'll try not to bother you with selfish requests again after this. Alright, time to hit the road~_

The man offered a sweeping bow to the altar. “Thanks for the banquet of farewell; we’ve accepted your good faith! We go now!”

A spin and a forward leap sent him sailing past the entrance the boy had disappeared through just moments ago, leaving crumbs and a few words of promise in his wake.

“I’m coming for you, Izumi."

  


\----

  


Pomegranate blossoms were symbolic in Changan, and so was the scarlet hair that shared their color. So when Tsukasa arrived at the marketplace in the late afternoon, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him, admiration and respect evident in their gazes.

Flashing the crowd a polite smile, Tsukasa made his way down the stone road. The weight and haste in his steps spoke of business, and the people, with tacit understanding, did not bother him, quickly returning to whatever business they had.

"You know, that's a weird relationship you guys have," the shopkeeper offered in greeting as Tsukasa approached him. Which, to Tsukasa was the actual weird thing here, as the shopkeeper had never been one for conversation. Perhaps he was in a talkative mood today, or was simply bored because the women of the town were too busy with their last-minute New Year's Eve preparations to feign interest toward his advances.

"Good afternoon, Kaoru-san," Tsukasa said. "Do positive relationships between martial families and the civilians not exist in other settlements? I have been to few others, so I am not able to judge."

"Not really. But you're not here to gossip, right? One second." Kaoru glanced momentarily at Tsukasa's entourage, then reached behind him and hefted out a stack of clear, tightly-wrapped packages of brownish powder. "Doc says to give you his entire stock, since I won't be around to do that anymore. He'll send a runner who you folk can send back to get more whenever you run out."

"You are leaving town? Your stay has been rather short… if you don't mind my asking, might I inquire why?" Considering the slipshod manner Kaoru had set up shop with – to call it a shop, or even a stall was far too generous of a description, for the setup was really just a faded rug, a worn cushion for him to sit on, three wooden poles to hold up a canopy, and a few pouches of varying sizes but all holding medicine – Tsukasa was under the assumption that the shopkeeper either didn't care for appearances, or would not be staying for long. Or both. He didn't even have a signboard on display.

Though anyone with half a brain could see that leaving town after a transaction involving medicinal goods was quite suspicious.

While it wasn't directed toward him, Tsukasa could feel the intensity of two states trained past his shoulders. An intimidating comfort.

"Chillax." Kaoru held his hands up placatingly. "One less person leeching off your drinks means more for you chaps, right? Considering the fact that you guys are starting to be affected by the dry spell and all."

The sentiment almost sounded considerate, except it came from someone who Tsukasa failed to associate with that word, for all he knew him. "Indeed, with conditions like these, most people would choose to leave if they had the luxury of choice… I digress, though. Kaoru-san, I would like to suggest a proposal to your own, if you would hear me out. About that runner you spoke of, isn't that somewhat wasteful of human resources?" Tsukasa paused to let that sink in. "You ought to sell us the formula to save time and effort."

"Yeah, no."

"For a cure for Mother's ailment, the Suou clan is willing to pay any offer in daiya."

"Oookay. Listen up, Young Master Suou." Kaoru leaned back on a forearm. With his free hand he held up his index finger. "One, we're not moneygrubbers. Earning an extra daiya or two isn't the point of our business – so says the Doc. Two," he waggled two digits, "we don't sell instructions on how to fuck with someone's mentality. 'Cause that's what the recipe can do if it somehow falls into the wrong hands. Capiche?"

He kept a straight face, but Tsukasa wasn't blind to other forms of expression, especially one that was essentially condescension incarnate.

"I would like to think that everyone in the Suou manor is worthy of trust, but…" Aggravating as it was, Tsukasa could see the logic in that reasoning, and the fault in his. He repressed a sigh. "Very well. I will inform Father of your… considerations."

"That's just what the Doc says, so don't cite me on that." Kaoru lifted his shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "Well, I won't be around for you to cite me on anything, but you know, figure of speech."

_Quite eager to be on your way, aren’t you? Sad to say, your role does not end here._ "Incidentally, Mother has always been meaning to express her gratitude to you in person, Lord Kaoru."

He paused, let out the sigh he had reserved, changed it into one of regret. "Though if you must leave so soon, I suppose I will have to be the bearer of bad news…"

He saw Kaoru waver. It was a fine battle he fought, though one Tsukasa already foresaw the outcome of. "…Well." Kaoru changed the position of which he sat – still casual, but on guard. "It's not like Ryuseitai is leaving immediately, so I guess I could take you up on that offer."

_Marvelous._ Tsukasa's smile widened imperceptibly. Though he did feel bad – _for using Mother as a bargaining chip, that is._ "I will send a servant to inform you of the scheduled time, then."

The escort on his left stepped closer to him to whisper in his ear. "Young Master, shall we depart now?"

Tsukasa nodded. "I must take my leave now. Once again, on behalf of the Suou clan, allow this Suou Tsukasa to bid you thanks for all that you have done for us. I wish you prosperous business wherever your travels may take you."

"Mm. Pleasure working with you, Young Master Suou."

Once they were out of earshot of the medicine seller, the escort who spoke earlier dropped all pretense of sobriety with a snicker. "Ah, whew, I was about to burst a lung back there! That guy’s sure glad to be rid of us, ain't he?"

"If I may, you seem rather pleased yourself, Senior Brother Kai."

"Not I, not I." His escort and senior brother voiced his denial. "Otoya here," Kai inclined his head toward the escort on Tsukasa's right, "you should have seen his face, Tsukasa!"

"Kai." Otoya glowered. "Young…"

He trailed off awkwardly as Tsukasa shifted his attention to him. Kai chortled indiscreetly, even as he suffered a none-too-light jab that had somehow snuck around Tsukasa’s back.

Tsukasa let out a light chuckle. "Senior Brother Otoya, you can address me however you like. I just thought that when we are not on business and simply chatting as friends would, there is no need to be so terribly formal with each other."

"If that is what you wish, Tsu...Tsukasa."

"Yes." Tsukasa smiled.

Otoya averted his eyes in a manner that was quite suspicious, and Kai did a poor job of reining in his laughter. "...Anyway." Otoya cleared his throat, quickly composing himself. "Is it truly adequate to allow Kaoru-san to meet with Lady Master? You may correct me if I am wrong in my understanding, but I believe that the true benefactor here is the doctor and not the one who gallivants."

"It is not in the Suou family teaching to be stingy with gratitude," Tsukasa said. "So we shall give thanks when it is due, even to one who basks in reflected glory."

His two senior brothers looked at him, then exchanged a look with each other. "Tsukasa," Kai started.

"Yes?"

"Seriously, no matter what Master says, don't change."

A small smile briefly flickered over Otoya's features, while Tsukasa blinked at them in confusion.

"It was clever of our shopkeeper to mention Ryuseitai," Tsukasa said, after a respite of comfortable silence. "Should he lay a hand on Mother, any prospect of an alliance with them – should the need arise, of course – would be abolished. A shame, but a necessary course of action. More importantly, Mother's honor…"

It was mere hypothetical thinking, but Tsukasa felt a twinge of fury burn in the pit of his heart as his imagination played out the scene in front of him. He would slice whomever brought harm to that which he had sworn to protect into ribbons – no, his flesh to theirs would not exact the agony and suffering they deserved; with this humanoid form, he would tear their innards out, plunge…

A light cough that came from his right interrupted his train of thought. He felt a dull ache in his head that hadn't been there before. Curious indeed - _am I catching a cold in this weather?_ "Tsukasa. Everything will be fine, so please be at ease." Otoya lowered his gaze, confusion tugging the corner of his mouth into a frown.

Following it, Tsukasa noticed that his hand had come to rest on the grip of his sword. When had that happened?

"...I understand," he said, letting his hand drop. "I just-oh?"

Just then, Tsukasa noticed a commotion further down the street. If he remembered correctly, that was...

"My senior brothers. There appears to be trouble at the gunpowder workshop," he stated, though he was sure the two could see it themselves. "If I were to guess, I would say that something is amiss with the fireworks that are to be used tonight, but surely there are other ways to ascertain. Shall we go check it out?"

"Young- Tsukasa, Master is expecting you home soon…" But Tsukasa was already making a beeline toward the direction he had indicated.

"Hey, you know the kid – gotta let him satisfy his curiosity." Kai clapped the other on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's go. You only live once, after all."

  


\----

  


As the three went to investigate the commotion, one person slipped away from the crowd unnoticed, slinging his prize across his back, next to where a lengthy, wrapped bundle had already claimed its spot. He wove through the market district, breezed through the residential areas, all the while adding verses of a poem to a tune he conjured up on the spot - then discarding it in the back of his mind, deciding that his composing had seen better days. The populace thinned as he neared the outskirts of town.

"Halt, thief."

The man stopped, then turned to face the speaker with a sheepish smile on his face. "Good afternoon to you too, stranger! I’m usually much better than what you’ve just heard - bad case of writer’s block, you see!"

"You have taken something that is not rightfully yours. Surrender to your crimes."

"Or what? You'll thwack me with the stick? Don’t forget, it's the pointy end that hurts~"

"I dislike two kinds of people: dishonest men and those who talk in circles only to say nothing at all. You appear to be both." The swordsman reached behind him to grip the hilt of his sword.

Silver flashed, and a heavy whoosh sliced through the air. "Prepare yourself!"

The man's grin didn't budge an inch as he wove past the horizontal strike. Then he jumped, and soon he was looking down at the swordsman. The blade scarcely bent as it held his weight, even though it was much longer than he was tall. "Nice sword, probably won't snap if you do all sorts of things with it."

He used the momentum of the counterattack to flip off the blade, landing gracefully back on the ground out of reach of the longsword. "No one knows how to appreciate a good innuendo, yeesh. Worry not, however - my heart and body belong to Sena, so me making a pass at you is never ever gonna happen!”

“Cease your meaningless drivel, thief!”

More slashes in quick succession, more easy dodges. “Is this how humans roll now, dicing people into eighths when their eyes lock – wait, hold up, don't tell me! Let imagination speak the truth of this world, and not the dogs of Yumenosaki!"

The swordsman stilled.

"Hello, hello? Why have you gone all silent, stranger? I've got things to do, so–"

"You killed my family." A whisper carried by the wind, like the rumble of distant thunder before a storm.

The man cocked his head to the side curiously.

"Now you insult those who have taken me as one of their own." The swordsman’s grip on his weapon trembled, though not in fear. "Though I may not be a disciple there anymore, I will not idly stand by while you speak ill of Yumenosaki!"

Slowly, carefully, the swordsman lifted his blade until it was level with the man's eyes. Golden-green spared not a glance for the glinting silver, instead meeting that violet gaze of grim resolution with an underlay of madness.

The man saw himself reflected in those eyes.

"Draw your weapon."

"...I've done many things before, but I'm pretty sure genocide isn't on that list. Alas."

"Kanzaki–" A third voice joined the exchange of words, but went ignored by the swordsman.

"Draw your weapon!"

The newcomer moved toward his companion, but the man held up a hand to stop him. "If you care even a smidgen for this knucklehead, let him have this." He placed that hand over the center of his chest, and an inky seal swirled to life under it, glowing with an ominous light.

"A deity is supposed to mitigate the pains of the people, after all."

With that hand, the man drew his weapon.

He caught a glimpse of the dimming twilight sky, streaked with indigo like the tresses of a swordsman laden with grief, painted with vermillion like a tide of spilled blood.

"This mortal body of mine probably wouldn't survive the desert at night, anyway. It just had to be winter!" Brandishing his sword of chipped, rusting iron, the heavy chains wrapped around the weapon clinked against each other. "Come, unleash your frustrations on me!"

The swordsman's expression darkened further. "Prepare yourself, and pay for what you took with your life… Hakaze!"

  


\----

  


_Why would one steal fireworks_ , Tsukasa wondered incredulously as his company passed under the front gates of his clan's manor and headed indoors.

"Thank you for accompanying me today, Senior Brother Kai, Senior Brother Otoya." Coming to a stop in front of the drawing room, he turned to face the two, giving them a slight bow and a smile. "I will now go report to Father, and then it will be my turn be an escort."

"Looking forward to dine with you, Young Master!"

Otoya scowled at his companion briefly before replying to Tsukasa with a respectful smile of his own. "Then we will take our leave now."

After seeing them off, he turned to one of the servants. "Would you inform Father that I request to meet with him?"

"Certainly, Young Master. One moment, please."

Soon, Tsukasa was granted admittance. A single person was seated at the long table where war strategy and confidential meetings were held.

Tsukasa made obeisance. "I have returned, Father."

His father's gaze lifted from the papers he had been going over. "Welcome home, Tsukasa. Let us go." He rose from his seat.

"Yes. After you, father."

His father dismissed the servants Tsukasa had addressed prior, and they headed down the corridor. “Kaoru-san is leaving soon. There will be no problems with the continued supply of Mother’s medicine, though.”

“I see. Has Kaoru-san mentioned a Sagami Jin before?"

“No, I do not believe he has.” Tsukasa thought back to their previous conversations. “The only other name he had brought up in conversation was Doctor Nito’s.”

“Is that so.”

The exchange ended there, as his mother came down the hall with two of her maid-servants. Upon seeing the two, she spoke a few quiet words to them, and they bowed and left.

"Good evening, Mother."

"Lord Nagame. My dear child." His mother looked at each of them in return. Free from the weariness that had plagued her for so long, her eyes were a clear purple identical to his own, and in them was a hint of a good mood, though her face itself was devoid of expression as usual.

His father's gaze flickered over to his wife in silent acknowledgment. "Come." He slid open the door leading to the household altar where they would pay their respects, and wife and child followed.

Tsukasa had always thought that performing the veneration rites was an odd experience. He didn't think he would ever be able to completely get rid of that feeling.

_But as the heir of the Suou family, I shall live up to everyone's expectations. With all my heart._

  


\----

  


Emptied by the humans swept up in celebration, the streets were filtered of all noise – save for the occasional clash of singing blades.

Atop the throne of night, the moon shone its pale light upon the two derelicts, watching over their unrelenting battle in all fairness.

Fair in more than one way.

_So much like you._

"Wow, you're not even trying to hide your roots anymore." Footwork meant to turn the disadvantage of a disabled arm into an advantage, sword style whose odd rhythm was designed to give an edge in battle – the nostalgia hit harder than any physical attack, weaving a brocade made up of his memories.

_\-- “You learn quickly, Tsukinaga. Now let's see ya take this…”_

_\-- “My, with the way Leo-kun hurls himself at his master, no wonder he always shows up to Learning the Mysteries of Our World looking like a street rat beat black and blue…”_

_\-- “You just wanted to try saying those phrases, didn’t you…”_

_\-- “Ugh, not this again. Where's that brain of yours at, yesterday’s trash?” A sigh of that deep, magnetic voice greeted him, and the way his heart soared then and now was one and the same._

_Izumi,_ the man thought. Izumi.

_\-- “I'm good with both arms, see?” To prove his point, he wrapped them around the slender waist of the person who loomed over his bedside, pulling close enough to brush his lips against a jutted hipbone hidden under too many layers of cloth, a sharp rush of blood rushing down south as he took in that person’s special scent. “Mmm, sea salt and ice cream, Sena smells like sea salt and ice cream - your king approves!”_

_\-- “W-wait, don't get your blood and filth all over me.” Swat swat. “I'll hold you down by force if I have to.”_

_\-- “And that's not a hug – ouchouchouch, you, you weren't kidding!?”_

_\-- "Shit, sorry – I, I mean, can't you just act like a normal hurt person so I can take care of you? As in, don't do anything at all. And stop saying I smell like dairy products, that’s gross." Cool hands eased him into a more comfortable position on the bed. "Tell me where it hurts most. Hey...!"_

_\-- He flipped them over, grinding his half-hard dick into the sudden - though far from unwelcome - weight on his groin. “Ah~n, Senaaa, it’s been like this allll day since you left me hanging,” he panted like the hormonal teenage boy he was. “You’ve made me feel real bad down there, take respon...”_

_\-- His mouth dropped open in a silent moan as Izumi fucking_ sat _on him, grumbling something along the lines of “why are you such a pervert” and..._

And the blue he was seeing was definitely not of the eyes that held a shimmering sea.

"Whoa, catching spring fever sure is one way to get gutted in a swordfight," the man muttered to himself after narrowly dodging the crescent of sword aura. "Even a genius can't stow that piece of info away for next time if there isn’t one!"

_\-- "That's just how your Leo-kun is, Secchan~ Now go set the whole wide world ablaze with your undying passion for each other in, I dunno, another fucking dimension so I can sleep."_ Even his memories were calling him out. Better get his act together, then.

Despite the obvious rage his adversary had shown prior to their fight, the swordsman had not uttered a single word as they crossed blades, grim resolution clear in his every action. Feint, strike, a parry that forced the man backward, then a relentless barrage of attacks.

_You’re good, but I’m better when I want to be._ The man allowed his feet to fall into familiar movement, just for an instant.

Slim window of opportunity spotted, he lunged-

"Nyaa."

"Little John!? Gyah-"

  


\----

  


Small talk flitted throughout the room in cheerful, lively tones as Tsukasa entered the dining room behind his parents. They sat down in their respective seats, and the room quieted down as his father made to address the assembled company.

"Thank you all for gathering around this eve to dine as brothers and family. Please enjoy yourselves to your heart's content. No one should show any restraint today."

A series of chuckles arose from the group, but was cut short by a voice.

"I'll be letting go of my restraint this night, then."

Heads turned to face the speaker, including Tsukasa's.

"Kai," Otoya fixed his companion with a glare. "At least wait for Master to make the first toast!"

Holding his cup with both hands, he turned to face Tsukasa and his mother. "Lady Master, Young Master, my respects for the new year. I propose a toast to you."

Caught off guard by the unexpected attention, Tsukasa reflexively repeated the gesture. "T-to what?"

"To a life with no regrets!"

He drank. So did Tsukasa, after a moment's hesitation.

Everyone else stared.

Downing his drink, Tsukasa snuck a glance toward his father. If he took offense at not being addressed, he didn't show it. His father's face was ever the epitome of stoicsm.

The others seemed to share his concern, judging from the ensuing susurrus of bemusement and disapproval.

Kai had already refilled his cup by the time Tsukasa placed his back where it belonged. This time, the cup was offered to his father. "Next, a toast to you… Suou Nagame."

Whereas the room had gone quiet when his father spoke, now it was as if someone had banished all traces of noise from the room.

_No one_ addressed the master of their clan by full name.

"Suou Nagame." His father broke the silence with his calm voice, speaking as if he was simply sampling the cadence of his own name. "And what would you toast to him."

"The imminent end of his campaign."

Kai abruptly stood, casting the cup of wine to the floor.

"'We shall never show deference to a tyrant like you.' So says the Northern Alliance."

A slow smile spread across his face. Tsukasa thought it was to his father's reaction – if there was one – toward certain keywords, until he noticed that it was directed toward him.

Tsukasa knew that smile. It was a frequent presence in his life, whenever Kai was telling him a joke, or playfully bantering with Otoya, or coming up with suggestions on how the three of them would spend their remaining free time for the day.

He wasn't sure what to make of that familiarity now.

"No!"

Tsukasa tensed immediately at his mother’s cry.

"Tsukasa."

Kai called out to him, shifting to his right so quickly the movement could have only be accomplished by the application of _qi_. If he had remained where he stood an instant longer, a pair of chopsticks would have pierced through his head. "I see you as both a little brother and a friend."

The swiftly moving Kai was no easy target, even for the trained warriors of the Suou clan. Dodging eating utensils turned deadly, he surged forward and landed in the center of the room. "Even now I wish the best for you."

Kai lowered his gaze to meet Tsukasa's, and Tsukasa found himself unable to look away.

"So die."

A strong sense of discomfort surged in his heart, like someone had grabbed and was twisting it.

Pain, like it would be squeezed till it burst.

Then rage.

Then-

_Thunk._

The sudden ease of the twisting in his chest dragged him back to reality, and Tsukasa let out a shuddering gasp.

On the floor Kai lay, chopsticks protruding from his eyes, windpipe, and the left side of his chest. A pool of blood slowly spread from beneath him.

He saw his father's outstretched arm return to rest in his lap.

There was a slight sound to his right. He turned his head, just in time to see his mother crumple to the floor.

Tsukasa lunged to catch her. "Mother!"

She was alive. She wasn’t injured, though her petite body seemed so frail, like it would shatter to pieces if he held her with too much of the strength she lacked. Still Tsukasa hugged her against his chest as tightly as he dared, because close to the heart was where one kept that which they cherished. "Mother. I'm… we're fine. We are alive."

_Lies._

He felt his chest constrict again, though with a different kind of pain.

The long fall of his mother's dark hair brushed his wrist as a trembling hand reached to touch one of his own, tentatively, searchingly. He squeezed it back, firmly, encouragingly.

Then something started hissing.

"Master!" An urgent voice. "The pouch at his waist…"

His father stood in a flourish. All eyes followed as his father strode over to the body – _corpse_ , his mind dimly corrected - reaching down and pulling the offending object free with a single tug.

The body – _corpse_ – was jerked upward with the movement, then fell back into the pool of its own blood with a wet smack.

His father withdrew something from the pouch – a sphere of cast iron. The ball was emitting tiny sparks from a short piece of rope attached to, or extending from it.

Realization flashed in his father's stony eyes. Without looking away from the object he held, he addressed everyone in the room. "The dinner is over. Everyone will now return to their rooms. I will be expecting punctuality from all of you for tomorrow's briefing. Failure to show will deem you a traitor, and I do not take kindly to those. Now leave us."

Tsukasa took a deep, shaky breath – and realized how much of a bad idea that was as the fresh scent of blood wafted through his nose.

His vision darkened around the edges.

"Stay, Tsukasa."

Steeling his nerves, Tsukasa carefully set his mother down, then turned to respond to his father's call.

And was met with a familiar look in his father's eyes.

_\-- "The one you call your son – Tsukasa, was it? It – my apologies,_ he _– is quite the specimen you have acquired."_

_\-- "What exactly is he, you ask? How can I phrase things to your understanding… would you accept it if I called him a relegate from Heaven? A living god? A monster?"_

_Hardly the time for that_ , he mentally chided. His father was now looking at him expectantly, as if awaiting a reply to a question Tsukasa hadn't heard him ask.

But before he could ask his father to repeat it-

"Mayhem, mayhem! Your fancy house is going to explode if you don’t accept my aid!"

Father and son faltered, then turned in sync toward the source of the incongruently cheerful voice.

A man swathed in the robes of a Buddhist monk stood at the entrance to the dining room. His face was shadowed by the rim of a large bamboo hat. "Come outside! Bring that rotten egg with you! Oh, and the bag!"

"This ball will likely do as our intruder says – cause unnecessary destruction." His father placed the pouch and ball in Tsukasa's hands, the latter of which was emitting more sounds and sparks than before. "Take care of this."

"F-father!?" If what his father said was true, Tsukasa didn’t want to be within a mile of the thing, much less be the one to "take care of it".

“Did I stutter?"

"N-no! Please excuse Tsukasa, then!" Into the courtyard he ran.

The traveler beckoned impatiently. "Hurry, time to save the day!"

Alarmingly, next to some ripped lanterns that looked suspiciously like the Suou manor's own, a fire burned and lit up the orange of his hair, the green of his eyes, the red-painted bamboo holding…

"You're the thief who stole the fireworks!"

"'Who else is there besides myself?'" the thief quoted with a cheeky grin. "Gimme!"

Swiping the objects from Tsukasa’s hands, the thief rolled the explosive ball back into the pouch. Aligning it near the head of the bamboo tube holding the fireworks - which Tsukasa noticed had one end of a rope tied around - he then started wrapping the rest around both tube and pouch. "If we end up standing in a heap of firewood, at least I tried!"

"What… wait. You mean to shoot it into the skies?"

"'Genius, he's a genius' – that's what you're thinking, right! You're not wrong in thinking so, by the way." The thief tied a final fast knot with the rest of the rope, then stuck the end of the tube into the fire. "Alright. Stand back, kid." He ushered Tsukasa back to the safety of the dining room, which Tsukasa was all too happy to return to. "Pray to the heavens that this works!"

_"Gods Almighty!" Don’t test your wild theories on an instant of life or death!_

"That's the spirit!"

Just as Tsukasa started to regret his life choices – particularly, giving the power of decision to a total lunatic, he saw and heard the tube being blasted high into the skies with a fwoosh.

Then a burst of bright color livened up the night sky, and they were safe from any exploding objects.

_...Felicitations for the new year._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsukasa isn't the central character of this story, by the way.
> 
> Notes:  
> * Changan(長安, _chángān_ ): A town based off Xian(西安, _xīān_ ), the capital of the Shaan'xi Province of China. The name means “long-lasting peace”.
> 
> * Pomegranate flowers: the state flower of Xian, introduced to China when the Chinese diplomat Zhang Qian brought them in from the Western Regions(西域, _xīyù_ ). They symbolize their wishes for prosperity and good childbirth. The color red is not only symbolic in Changan, but also in China proper as a whole.
> 
> * Senior Brother(師兄, _shīxīong_ ): the literal translation for this would be something like "senior apprentice brother". That's kind of a mouthful for everyone to say, so I did this. ("Senpai" doesn’t quite cut it here for me, so yeah.)
> 
> * Kai(甲斐) / Otoya(乙矢): The former means “usefulness, worth”, while the latter means “the second of two arrows (with feathers that curve to the right) to be fired”.
> 
> * "The man's" poem: The lyrics he's chanting belong to a poem called 明月何皎皎 - an "Old Poem" from the Han Dynasty. I'm too embarrassed to include my crappy translation in the main story, but there’s no harm putting it in the afterword(?  
> 明月何皎皎！照我羅床緯。/ Why does the moon shine so brightly! Casting its light upon my silk bed drape.  
> 憂愁不能寐，攬衣起徘徊。/ The melancholy of missing you renders me sleepless at night; gathering my clothes, I start to pace my empty bedchambers.  
> 客行雖云樂，不如早旋歸。/ Though traveling incites joy in me, it does not compare to returning home betimes.  
> 出戶獨彷徨，愁思當告誰？/ As I venture outdoors, wandering about all by my lonesome, who shall I confide my sorrows in?  
> 引領還入房，淚下沾裳衣。/ Extending my neck in anticipation, that which I seek does not come to me, so I can only retire to my room, letting my tears flow freely and dampen my garments.
> 
> * On measurements: Traditional units of measurement are used for this fic. 1 Chinese inch(市寸, _shìcùn_ )=3 1/3 centimeters; 1 Chinese mile(市里, _shìlǐ_ )=500 meters.
> 
> * Suou Nagame(朱桜　ながめ):  
> 眺め(nagame) means "outlook for the future".
> 
> * Qi(氣, _qì_ ): The "vital force" of all living things. It can be used for a variety of things, such as cultivating, fighting, etc.
> 
> * “The traveler’s” quote “who else is there besides myself": from the Mencius/Mengzi. Original text is:「如欲平治天下，當今之世，舍我其誰也？」(If it’s wished that order and tranquility is brought about, who else is there besides myself to accomplish that in the era of today?)


	3. Demon of the Heart – 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Through the repayment of a debt, Tsukasa finds out just how colorful a cast of people have been laying low in his town.

"…Tsukasa?"

Upon seeing the one cradled in his arms awaken, Tsukasa attempted to smile. Fortunately, his mother didn't seem conscious enough to take note of a contender for the worst assuring smile in history. "Did I wake you, Mother?"

She shook her head no.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Tsukasa!" She wrapped her arms around his neck with surprising vigor.

"Ouch, ouch – ah, no, it doesn't hurt that much actually, you can keep doing that if you wish, Mother." Tsukasa straightened his neck with a wince so he could see where they were going.

Then he felt the teardrops slide down his neck and collarbone, and he had a new dilemma.

"H-however, please don't cry…" He sniffed. "I, I can't _not_ cry if you do!"

An unknown amount of time later, Tsukasa lay with his head in his mother's lap, embarrassment catching up with him after he was emptied of tears – though still full of harrowing thoughts.

He tried to sit up, but his mother pushed his head back down. "A-ah, I cannot continue to let myself be shamelessly pampered by you, Mother. It is late, and you are still convalescing… and it was not my intention to come off as patronizing. I apologize." Though now that there was insistence toward his stay, he didn't really feel like getting up anymore, if only because going to sleep alone meant that he would be left alone with his thoughts. 

"I have taken your good intentions to heart. However, dear child."

"Yes, Mother?"

"It shames me to say it, but I seem to lack experience with reciprocating the care you have shown me all these years." She started petting his head, though to Tsukasa it seemed more like a series of soft, rhythmic pats.

"Filial piety is my commitment. You need not feel an obligation to reciprocate, Mother."

"If there is anything troubling you, dear child, please do not hesitate to inform me," his mother said. "Otherwise, I would not know how to help you."

This is probably her way of consoling me, Tsukasa realized. He understood that she meant well, however… "There is something I have been wondering, in fact. Please forgive me for making you recall the… event that transpired last night, but Mother, how did you know that person was going to..."

"There is no mistaking Killing Intent." His mother's voice was suddenly coated with such venom. Tsukasa winced as his hair paid for her remembrance of the event - despite the treatment supposedly depriving her of martial ability, she was _strong_. "He was about to unleash it on my precious son. Unforgivable."

"Killing Intent..." Tsukasa knew he'd felt a killing intent back then – he shuddered as he remembered how those eyes that typically appeared to be looking beyond him burned into him at that time, how all the inherent danger in the air had melded into something icicle-sharp, aimed his way. But to think it was _the_ Killing Intent, used only by the Yishui Mercs, the most lethal of warriors…

Despite his precautions, the last words that person had said to him infringed his thoughts.

_\-- "I see you as both a little brother and as a friend. Even now I wish the best for you."_

_\-- "So die."_

Tsukasa could understand if someone tried to use him against his father – _not that it would have worked_ , he thought grimly. However, the context of those final words seemed too... _intimate_ to warrant a hatred so intense it could be used as a literal weapon.

_So how could he have showed such conviction at that time?_

All the years they had spent together as senior and junior, as young lord and escort, as sworn brothers – they had not been enough to dissuade that person from fulfilling his mission.

_...Or was I the only one thinking that we were friends?_

Then Tsukasa realized how foolish a thought that was. _That person had been an assassin long before being anything else. To him, joining our faction would have been the actual betrayal. But even so… would he really have killed me if Father had not stopped him?_

"I was almost too late." His mother spoke, voice quivering on the final word. Suddenly, she was not a former assassin who could kill without a second thought, but a frightened mother whose son had been dangled in front of, then hastily yanked away from King Yanluo's doorstep.

Tsukasa flipped over so he was lying on his back, and forced the corners of his mouth up as he tried for another reassuring smile. "You weren't, Mother. Tsukasa is still alive."

His mother seemed to calm down at those words, and the head patting resumed. "Though Lord Hidaka has declared the usage of Yishui Killing Arts taboo, they are expendable pawns. As such, the ones who should fear persecution are not them, but their employers."

"Of whom are outside martial law and are already our enemies to begin with, in our case." _Those cowards._

 _...Wait. The Hidaka clan. New Year's. This year, this fall…_ Tsukasa successfully held back a groan. "Mother, is this not the year in which the next martial gathering will be held?"

"I suppose so… ah, I see what you mean," she said. "I wonder if the Hidaka clan will live up to their reputation as inspectors and discover what had transpired. They will be more irksome for Lord Nagame than for our northward neighbors." Sifting fingers through red strands, his mother added softly, "Well, we needn't concern ourselves with the estrangement of a bigot and a power-hungry fool."

"… Mother."

His mother sighed. "You may forget you heard that, dear child. I have kept you up for too long. Thank you for keeping me company this late into the night."

"Ah, I do not mind… rather, you should not tire yourself keeping me company, Mother."

The hand was removed from Tsukasa's head, and his mother helped him up. "I suppose I shall heed your advice, if I want to live the rest of my life on my own two feet." She led him to the doors. "Now that my condition has improved, you may visit me whenever you would deign to spend time with your mother, so do get whatever rest you can until the morning call."

"I will. Good night, Mother."

 

\----

 

Despite yesterday's forewarning, no amount of rest could have fully prepared him to deal with _this._

"I apologize, Lord Suou, but our duty requires that we get to the bottom of this incident."

"Do as you must. Tsukasa, show Hokuto the door."

_Awkward awkward awkward._

"No need. I'll show myself out. Thank you for having me, Lord Suou, Tsukasa." If his father’s countenance was like unmoving masonry, then Hidaka Hokuto’s was akin to a filigree of frost. Giving his father a slight bow, Hokuto left the room, leaving behind the low air pressure he had brought in with him.

"Tsukasa." His father glanced at him, and Tsukasa sat up straighter at the attention, more than relieved that _that_ particular exchange was over. "If he is a man of his word, our benefactor should be waiting at the front gates as we speak. He may make a single request of my clan. You are to fulfill it, then cut ties with him and ascertain he understands that we are not beholden to him."

"I do not need to stay as a witness?" That was unexpected – and a little disappointing, truthfully speaking. It wasn't every day the inspected party would get to see to the Hidaka clan’s inspectors at work, since under most circumstances the former would be far too occupied with escaping from the latter to properly pay attention.

"No. If your errand is finished early, only return just before the first gong of the night."

"Understood." _That’s assuming this request will be finished in a day,_ Tsukasa thought. _Well, he may just end up accosting us for money, so I’ll probably end up with more free time than I know how to spend._ Otoya was out for the day, and Kai...

After being dismissed by his father, Tsukasa headed over to the front gates of his family’s manor.

Then stopped short upon seeing their guest. "Yesterday's th-"

Heads turned, and Tsukasa hurriedly corrected himself. "Th-that is, the one who lent his ingenuity and assistance to the circumvention of yesterday’s plight! I will see that our sagacious helper is properly rewarded for his services, so you must excuse us while we discuss the finer details of that."

Appreciative murmurs surrounded them as Tsukasa dragged the thief to a less populated street. "You will freeze in that. Wear this." With one hand he unfastened the cloak he wore and draped it around the other's shoulders. It was too long his small stature, and trailed behind him as Tsukasa pulled him along.

"I was in the midst of doing that before you came, thanks! But, you're going to let me wear this posh carpet? It's getting dirty as we speak."

"It is yours for the keeping. I can do without." This person couldn't be the "benefactor" his father mentioned – Tsukasa couldn't imagine how someone so eye-roll inducing had wheedled a favor out of his father. _Surely Father meant Kaoru-san… yes, that must be it. Better him than_ this. "Have you been brought up for larceny? Your intervention last night cannot be left unrecognized, so if it is necessary, I could advocate for you in Father's court."

"Huh? What is this rich kid saying?" Eyes the color of a canopy of leaves that dwelt under rays of all-encompassing sunlight widened in realization. "Oh, you're saying that you're willing to be my patron? I won't forget your saving graces even if my bones rot and my teeth crumble to dust!"

That was some gratitude. "Shall we go see Father, then?"

"The poop-face who looks like you, right? Been there, done that – he's the one who told me I can ask you people for help after using up my fireworks. That's why I'm here today!"

"Are you implying that I have a so-called ‘poop-face’, you thief!?" _Wait, that isn’t the point_ \- Tsukasa mentally berated himself for the instantaneous outburst, his meager hope unfortunately proven false. "That is to say, those were not your fireworks – you stole them!"

"I was talking about the hair, you know?" The thief swatted at Tsukasa's hair, and Tsukasa swatted his hand away in turn. "As for the fireworks, I didn't steal them. They were just lying around, so I just took them… eh, but that's the same as stealing?" His eyes widened, as if he had just understood the scale of his actions. "I unwittingly committed an act of folly!"

“Folly? You outright _stole_ something!”

"Wahahaha, sorry, sorry! I forgot that you need money for this sort of thing – which I don't have, of course, if you couldn't tell by the clothes!" The thief had the audacity to laugh as he gestured at his monk's robes. "But it's for the greater good, alright? What I'm doing can help take care of the drought. Come spring thaw, your little town will shrivel up if nothing is done about that, so won't you lend me your assistance?"

"The drought?" Displeasure could wait. "Are you implying that it is not a natural occurrence? Would you care to explain? Also, do you mean to say that resolving our plight is but a secondary objective… and please do not keep staring at my face. If you would like to voice your opinion, I ask that you speak clearly."

"You," the thief breathed, "ask _so_ many questions. That aside, you agree that my actions were justified, yes? We past that yet?" A cheeky grin.

Tsukasa sighed. "While the truth of what you did won't change, I suppose it was rather rude of me to call someone a thief directly to their face. Every person's name has their parents' love behind them, so we should not make light of them."

As he said that, Tsukasa realized that they had completely skipped past introductions. _Late as it is, the exchange of names would serve as a good starting point_ , Tsukasa thought, seeing as they weren't getting anywhere. "My… speaking of which, I believe that I have not introduced myself to you yet. My name is Suou Tsukasa. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I inquire your name, Lord Benefactor?"

"Su… Tsu…" The thief frowned. "Nnn, just let me collect my favor, poop-face junior!"

Tsukasa's smile fell.

"Huh? Why are you making a face like you're about to cry… hey, don't actually do that."

Having the fact pointed out only rendered it more difficult for him to hold in his frustration. "I-I'm not…" Tsukasa whipped his head away, the rude, incorrigible thief swerving out of his field of vision. "Kuaah, nothing I say gets through to you! I ask you a question, and you try to change the topic! I tell you my name just seconds ago, and you, you can't even remember that, going so far as to correlate my visage with excrement!"

Yesterday and now today - it wasn’t usually so easy to make him cry. What was wrong with his emotions as of late? Pulling out a handkerchief from his sleeve, Tsukasa spoke with a controlled voice as he dabbed at his eyes. "Favor or no, I would be more than happy to help had you asked nicely. Are you even listen..."

He trailed off when he turned to face the thief. "...What is the meaning of this?"

On his knees, the thief let out a wry smile. "I was being too forceful back there, right? Sorry for that."

"Well, as long as you're aware-"

"But!" The man cut him off, and Tsukasa scowled, harsh words at the ready just as the thief bowed deeply, pressing his head and hands to the floor.

"I sincerely need your help. I have no money, but I don't want to steal anything anymore, so you're all I've got. I'll do whatever you say, and I'll leave afterward if I'm an eyesore! But please don't say you won't help me. Only that-"

"Agh, alright, alright, I understand, so please rise!" Tsukasa hauled the man to his feet, then scanned the vicinity to see if they had caught the attention of any passersby. As luck would have it, there was no one to witness Tsukasa and his guilty conscience. "I did nothing wrong – why does it seem like I am the bad person here? Anyways, as I was saying, if I were to help you, I would need your cooperation as well."

The man’s oversized hat nearly fell off his head as he nodded quickly. "You'll have it. So you'll help?"

It was his father's request, after all. "I swear on the Suou name that I will see our debt to you repaid." Tsukasa said, and felt the air in his lungs leave his body in a whoosh as he was squeezed by a pair of surprisingly strong arms.

"Thank you kindly, Suou Tsukasa! Come on then – time is of the essence!" The body-crushing hug was quickly replaced by a hand pulling his arm along.

"Wait a moment, you!" Tsukasa yanked his arm free. "So you _do_ remember my name – why couldn't you have been more forthcoming to start with? And do remember that i t is Young Master Suou to you," he grumbled. "Anyhow, you have my name now, so tell me yours."

"Right, right. It's gone unused for some time, but Tsukinaga Leo is my name." Clasping his hands in front of him, the man bowed. "Hail and well met."

"How old are you?"

Leo's smile turned troubled. "Even if you ask me that, it's not like I remember, you know? Though I'm sure I'm the older one of us – how old could a kid like you be, fifteen, sixteen?"

"I am eighteen years of age." Tsukasa felt his patience flare again. "Tsukinaga-san, then. Let us go through my earlier questions one by one. First of all, Father has not charged you for larceny, trespass to land, property damage, effrontery, or all of the above; rather, he has rewarded you for your deed by lending the services of my clan to fulfill a single request of yours – is this correct?"

"In a nutshell, yeah. Walk and talk?"

"Where to."

"I need fire. Or something that can fuel a strong and steady fire – one that can be controlled. So our next destination is wherever I can get my hands on something like that."

"Fire? Not to commit arson with, I hope." Raising a hand to his chin, Tsukasa started thinking of where they could acquire that which Leo had requested.

"You seem to be under the impression that I'm here to cause trouble…?" Dear me, Tsukasa thought wryly as a look of befuddlement crossed Leo's face. "If I were, you wouldn't help me even if you guys do owe me a favor, right? Be at ease – what I'll be needing your help for can take care of the drought."

"That you had mentioned before," Tsukasa recalled as he weighed several choices in his mind. How manageable was an open fire? He didn't really trust the other to handle gunpowder after yesterday – _should I hire someone to assist him, then?_ "Wait, you stole fireworks to create a fire?"

“They can kill if handled incorrectly - it seemed like a genius choice at the time, okay?”

Tsukasa wondered if the person in front of him always operated on experimental nature. To say that it was a miracle Leo was alive and well – except in the brain department, perhaps – may not have been an understatement. "Walk and talk, you said? You will explain to me, then, while we seek out Ryuseitai.”

Leo scurried up to him, matching his pace and staying a bit too close for comfort. "Who? What?”

“Ryuseitai the escort agency, whose current leader is Phoenix Sentry Morisawa Chiaki. You cannot mean to say that you have never heard of them, or him… Tsukinaga-san?”

It was then Tsukasa noticed three things in succession – one, the moment his charge's attention attenuated from one point and sharpened toward another; two, the red, high-rising banners , each marked with a single black shooting star that denoted the presence of Ryuseitai; three, the two men in front of Ryuseitai’s caravan looking their way. One of them – a man with a tumble of indigo hair and a long sword strapped across his back was speaking quickly to someone inside the caravan, his austere gaze never leaving Tsukasa.

Not me, Tsukasa realized. "Gods Almighty!" He scowled at his problematic ward. "Tell me who and what your adversary is, and why you have garnered his attention. If the liabilities are great, I may have to suspend the auspices of the Suou clan."

"You're going back on your word!?"

"That depends on you, so stop wasting breaths of time!" Though his admonishment was in vain, for the swordsman was in front of them, knees hitting the stone floor – and Tsukasa had someone prostrated in front of him for the second time that day.

"Kanzaki!" The swordsman's companion – a brawny, olive-skinned man – rushed over, but Leo reached him first.

"Whoa, careful – if you want to make a grand appearance, do so without falling flat on your face!"

"Lord Tsukinaga… ah, no, nothing is amiss here." Tsukasa placated the curious bystanders, coupling his words with his usual smile - though it came out slightly forced. "Pay us no need."

"Is your revenge to shame me even further?" The swordsman twisted his body away from Leo's grasp. "Unhand me!"

As prompted, Leo released the man and stood back up, eying the kneeling swordsman quizzically. "You’re… ah, I get it! You didn't trip and fall – you're here to apologize! Now I'm to be the recipient of an overblown apology. What a day this has been!"

The swordsman's expression morphed from disgruntled to carefully blank. "…My companion has told me that you claim to not be a descendant of the Hakaze family. Is this statement true?"

 _Hakaze?_ Tsukasa scrounged his knowledge of warlord factions, merchants, and nouveaux riches for any mention of that name – and was met with negative results.

"About that – I felt really insulted back there, you know! What gave you the impression that I’m one of those shady mandarins? The hat? It's got to be the hat, this oversized root of all evil!" Leo glared upward at his bamboo hat, then swiped it straight off his head, revealing hair the color of sunbeams at twilight underneath. It stuck up at odd angles on top.

"Okay, now that you've got your answer, your face is still intact, and I can finally see the road when looking down," Leo clutched Tsukasa's forearm, leading him towards the Ryuseitai caravan, tipping his hat at the swordsman and his companion. "We shall take our leave! Safe travels!"

Tsukasa had a moment to take in the swordsman’s consternation before he was tugged along by Leo. "Is it okay to just leave them?" Tsukasa hissed quietly, so as not to draw even more attention to them. "As your patron, I am extremely concerned about-"

He almost stumbled as a hand caught his ankle. Turning to look behind him, Tsukasa could only feel speechlessness.

“I have yet to express my regret for needlessly causing you harm!" The swordsman was relentless in his pursuit for forgiveness. "Please allow me to pay my deepest apologies!”

Upon discovering the cause of Tsukasa's halt in motion, Leo likewise turned around, a slight frown marring his features. "Grr, line up if you want a favor from the young master – oh right, it's me you want. It’s cool, I’m telling you! I haven't had such a hotblooded fight in a while, and letting off some steam once in awhile is one of the primal needs of men. Now, if you'll excuse us-”

"You fought me with such trivial thoughts bordering your mind?" A cold light entered the swordsman's eyes, reminding Tsukasa first of the uncut kunzite a certain over-zealous sect leader had shown him with sparkling eyes some years ago, then of a more recent happening, of a certain gaze that was aimed to kill-

The fury from before threatened to surface yet again.

_No. I have to stay focused._

Forcing down the sudden surge of emotion, Tsukasa noticed that Leo now stood in front of him.

 _I can protect myself_ , he was about to say – until he saw the sword the other caught with his hand.

Though Leo didn't look at him as he spoke, Tsukasa knew he was being addressed. "Eyes on the battleground next time, yeah? And they call _me_ spacey!"

Yesterday's close call flashed before his eyes, and the shame Tsukasa felt washed over the last vestiges of his fury – though honestly speaking, he hadn't seen the swordsman go through motions of drawing his sword. There was no way he could have missed it. _Or did I lapse from reality again?_

"S-sorry," he muttered. _I’ve no place telling Tsukinaga-san I am capable of self-defense the way I am._ "I-"

"Stop stop stop stop stop!" a hearty voice hollered. Tsukasa identified the owner instantly – encompassed with a nimbus of exuberance that practically exuded light, the voice could belong to no other. "Pardon me, you as well – ergh, these are eggplants, but as I was the one to knock them over, I shall help you pick them up! The two of you over there, please hold up! You will cause the civilians unnecessary trouble should you choose to commence your fight here!"

"It would be wise to listen to him," he heard Leo say, presumably to the swordsman.

 _Finally this man shows some sense,_ he thought.

"But since when were men smart thinkers? Come now, on your mark!"

_What._

"Wahahaha, none of that here, alright?" The too-bright man jumped out from behind a vegetable stall and wedged himself in between the Leo and the swordsman, forcing the former to let go of the blade. "Oh hey, aren’t you Tsukinaga!"

Tsukasa used this intervention to send a look toward the swordsman's companion, silently asking him to stop any further foolishness of the swordsman's making. He seemed to get the hint, dipping his head in what Tsukasa took as a wordless apology, and put a hand on his companion's shoulder, talking to him in hushed tones.

"Huh, were you always so forward? And you still remember me, um, er…" Leo turned to exchange a meaningful look of his own with Tsukasa.

"Morisawa-san." Resisting the unsightly urge to roll his eyes, Tsukasa stepped out from behind Leo, clasping his hands together as he bowed toward Ryuseitai's leader. "This Suou Tsukasa has been looking forward to meeting with you. On behalf of the Suou clan, I welcome you to our humble abode."

"Ah, a young master! Well met, Young Master Suou!" Chiaki returned the gesture with grand movements. It would have been embarrassing to watch under normal circumstances, but after the chagrin of that day Tsukasa felt as if his capacity for humiliation had gone up the proverbial next floor.

Then he saw the bandaged left arm. Judging from Chiaki's movements, it seemed capable of functioning as normal, so Tsukasa couldn't help but wonder about the nature of the wounds sustained there.

If Chiaki noticed him staring, he didn't comment. "I was under the impression that there were ruffians trying to wreck havoc with ill intent, but if these three are under your jurisdiction… Mm? Where could the other two have gone?"

, Tsukasa thought as he followed the other's gaze to where the swordsman and his companion should have stood.

"Hm. They have left without a goodbye, or an apology!" Chiaki said. "The one who raises their weapon against an unarmed man is at fault, after all!"

"All's well, all's well." Leo said, waving a hand dismissively. "So, that's been taken care of, and now we've snagged ourselves the leader of Ryuseitai. What next, Young Master?"

"Aside from the imminent threat of danger, just what part of whatever conflict you have with that man has been taken care of?" Tsukasa asked, exasperated. _Raised more problems, even._ "Well, now that the crisis has been… averted, so to say, we shouldn't occupy the middle of this street any longer."

"Point taken!" Chiaki agreed. "Follow me, then. Everyone, sorry for disturbing your peace!"

Thankfully, the leader of Ryuseitai didn't go parkouring back through the stalls like how he came. "So you two were searching for me, yes? How may Morisawa Chiaki of the Burning Heart be of assistance? I regret to inform that I know little of the Suous, but I do not believe that Ryuseitai's escorts would be better bodyguards than your clansmen."

"Not bodyguards," Leo replied. "We need something that can spew flame. Have anything like that, Mori?"

"Proprietary, Tsukinaga-san." Tsukasa gave Leo a hard look. To Chiaki, he put up an apologetic smile. "You'll have to forgive this troublesome ward of mine."

"Nn, with the pace you so-called nobles play your game at, we'll be here until dark!" Leo protested. He glanced at Tsukasa in a way that made him feel like he'd kicked a puppy.

"So-called nobles… Anyway, Morisawa-san, that is how things are," Tsukasa said to Chiaki, who appeared to be contemplating something. "I understand that it may be impudent to request the use of Ryuseitai's services in this manner, especially since this is our first dealing with each other, but would it be possible to procure what Tsukinaga-san has requested through one of your contacts? With the drought plaguing our town, I would prefer to buy off from merchants than borrow from the commonwealth."

"Hm, yes, I understand." Chiaki nodded at that, though he soon shifted his attention to Leo. "By the way, Tsukinaga, I have been curious about something for a while now. I see that Sena is not with you today! How is he doing?"

His ward didn't answer immediately. Curious, Tsukasa turned his gaze to him – and saw the eerily blank expression on his face.

Then Leo smiled, but it was not the foolish grin he usually wore while being a nuisance to Tsukasa. It was not even the pained, forced smile he made that time he begged him not to withdraw his offer for help.

It was just empty.

"Sena's…" Leo began to speak, then hesitated. " _Jiangshi,_ they…"

The shift in Chiaki's shift in demeanor was immediate; gone was the joviality from before. "Wait here."

"Oh, Captain. Welcome back-"

"Hey Nagumo! Be careful where you stand, yes?" After almost knocking over the man who had been tending to the horses, Chiaki hefted himself up the caravan with his non-bandaged arm, then crawled inside. One of the horses let out a snort of displeasure, shifting from hoof to hoof. "Ahh, damn, the front is all our souvenirs – should have started from the back!"

"…He's your boss, no point blowin' a gasket at him." The young man sighed, pulling on the reins so the horse wouldn't wander, then regarded Tsukasa and Leo curiously. "Hey, yo. Nagumo Tetora at your service. You folk are?"

Tsukasa glanced at Leo, whose expression was obscured by the shaggy fall of his hair. He turned his attention back to Tetora. "I am Suou Tsukasa, and this is my… companion, Tsukinaga Leo. It is our pleasure to meet you."

"Whoa, so formal… huh, Tsukinaga?"

Leo slowly turned his head toward Tetora, blinking bemusedly. "You… know me?"

"There could be others with that name, I reckon, but you look just like that little miss! Except, well, the guy version."

An emotion Tsukasa didn't quite recognize flickered in those sunlight-on-greenery eyes, but then Leo forced his lips into a thin smile. "Doppelgangers and apparent family members estranged from birth – what other wonders await us in this world? Speaking of things wonderful, didn't we come here to ask Mori to ask people for what we need? Instead he's digging out of his own pocket to help us – interesting, so very interesting!"

Tsukasa narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. "…Yes, those are all quite coincidental." Though why have I never heard of this famed Tsukinaga family?

"Fuhahaha! Indeed, miracles happen!" Chiaki's emerged from the caravan, and he jumped down to meet them, landing soundlessly – proof of his martial ability. "As our luck would have it, I am in possession of a magical treasure that suits your needs! I present to you… the Shooter of the Sun!"

Tsukasa leaned in to take a closer look – and found his disappointment mirror in Tetora's words. "Well, I dunno, Captain. Don't seem veneer quality, and it's too short to be used as a sawlog. Hate to burst your bubble, but isn't this just a piece'a crude wood you found on the road?"

"You stupid!"

Tetora let out a squeak. "D-did I say something wrong?"

Leo gestured to Chiaki, who passed the magical treasure over to him. "Don't you see these indents?" He turned the cylinder of wood in his hand. "Is this not the pattern of the _li_ hexagram? Excellent, quite excellent indeed!"

" _Li_ hexagram? As in, the one from the I-ching?" asked Tsukasa.

"What's that?" asked Tetora.

"Huh, really – ahem, I mean, that is to say, so I see you have noticed!" Chiaki announced proudly - and rather suspiciously. "See for yourselves!"

Leo held the Shooter of the Sun lengthwise, and on the side facing up there was a cluster of marks engraved into the wood. The leftmost thin, vertical gash was followed by another, though the latter was split by a break in the middle into two smaller parts, vaguely of equal length. Two of the longer gashes came next, then a broken one, and a fourth long one marked the end of the series.

Tsukasa didn't really know enough about the I-ching to determine whether this was truly an auspicious sign or mere coincidence – though he recalled his father saying something about divination in general being a "dishonest practice" – but he was fairly certain that a certain someone was about to be scammed out of his money.

His patron's money.

He let out a tired sigh. “You'll have to forgive me, Morisawa-san, but I still fail to understand how this is special – or even usable, aside from acting as a paperweight, perhaps."

"Ah, allow me to explain!" Chiaki said. "You see, fire is the start of civilization, and so all mortals possess a bit of flame within themselves. Therefore, by channeling your thoughts into this furnace, the center will burst into flame!”

"Mm. Flame-flame _li_ ," Leo mused, nodding at Chiaki's 'explaination’. "That makes sense."

It didn't.

“Tsukinaga-san, don't you think that we should try out this product first before making our purchase?" Tsukasa asked.

Chiaki jerked a thumb behind him. "Alright, then let us head over to the back!"

At Chiaki's instruction, the four of them circled around to the other side of the caravan, which separated them from the hustle of the market district. Tsukasa started to wonder if Chiaki's lack of hesitation in accepting meant that he was actually telling the truth. _But there can't be that many abnormalities in this world. Something like conveniently stumbling across a magical treasure only happens in stories, right? Well, it happened with Father all those years ago, so I’m probably the last one who should be in doubt._

He then noticed that aside from Tetora, there wasn't anyone else tending to their campsite. "Where are the rest of your crewmates?" he asked Chiaki.

"I did not organize a large party when I left headquarters. Alright, now back up, you two!" Chiaki motioned for Tsukasa and Tetora to give Leo a wider berth. "The Shooter of the Sun is made of enchanted _gui yuan_ wood – enchanted as it the wood serving as the vessel for our fire will not burn to cinders, so in theory you can reuse it as many times as you wish. However, anything else will be… incinerated? Hm, no, that's not quite right. You would not be left with any ashes left to scatter, so be careful when handling this fire, and all fire in general!"

Leo glanced at the Shooter of the Sun, then back at Chiaki. “Say, I can still use this rune even without having mastery over it?”

“You will be fine! Just channel your thoughts into it! Show it your resolve to save Sena – that's a good expression! Then just-"

_Fwoosh!_

A pillar of flame erupted from the center of the wood, right in Leo’s face.

“Tsukinaga-san!”

“Whoa!”

In a flash, the flame was reduced to the size of a torchlight.

"Wow, okay. Your thoughts are strong, Tsukinaga!" Chiaki said. He leaned against the side of one of the horses, which whinnied in protest. "Just, you know, now that you know where the flame will come out, try to keep that side away from you, eh?"

"Well, I see I stand corrected." Tsukasa said. "We are truly in the presence of a… magical treasure, you called it?"

"How'd ya get yer hands on somethin' like that, Captain?" Tetora turned to address Chiaki. Then his eyes suddenly widened. "Captain!"

The black-haired young man rushed over to his captain. Saying that Chiaki's complexion had taken a turn for the worse was an understatement – the man appeared as if he were about to faint.

“Morisawa-san,” Tsukasa started.

"Payment, right?" Chiaki shook his head at him as Tetora supported his body. "I would not ask compensation for something that will be used to save lives."

His eyes grew serious, looking past the two of them. Tsukasa followed his gaze. "Use that to save Sena and everyone else, yeah?"

The surprise on Leo's face faded into determination. "You were the one who stopped the fire, right? Thank you." Holding the Shooter of the Sun like it was something precious, Leo bowed, then nodded to Tsukasa. "Let's go."

"Ah, yes." Tsukasa gave the pair a bow of his own, then hurried after Leo, who walked rather quickly for someone so vertically challenged. "How do you know what Lord Morisawa had done? Will he be alright?"

He glanced toward the Ryuseitai duo, then back at Leo. Now that he had a better view, he noticed that the hair that framed the other's face was slightly singed at the ends. It would fray, but otherwise Leo appeared unharmed. "Will you?"

"Ergh, too many questions. Well, Mori's a strong guy, he'll be fine! As for me, I have this!" Leo waved the Shooter of the Sun in his hand, as if that explained anything. He tucked it away into his robes, then smiled up at Tsukasa. "Right, I reckon this is where we part. Thanks for everything, Young Master Suou!"

"Excuse me?" Tsukasa arched an incredulous eyebrow. "You think we are finished here? You have not explained a thing to me, your patron, yet."

"Ooh. I promised to do that, right?" Leo glanced sideways. "But first, let me dig out those moles."

"Moles…?"

Leo went over to one of the stalls that had not yet opened, and yanked a familiar-looking violet-haired swordsman to his feet. "Upsy daisy!"

It was an impressive feat, considering how the swordsman towered over him.

Said swordsman took his hands off his ears. "I, I can explain, Senior Brother Tsukinaga."

" _Senior Brother?_ " Tsukasa asked.

Leo gave him a look that told him to wait – _getting more and more impudent by the hour, are we?_ "Mm. I was hoping you would on your own," Leo said. "You too, up you go."

The swordsman's olive-skinned companion rose from where he was crouched behind the counter, his hands still over his ears. "Can I stop covering my ears, Kanzaki?"

"D-do not ask me silly questions at a time like this, Lord Adonis!" The swordsman scowled at the one he called Adonis, then glanced back at Leo. "My senior brother, I apologize for hearing every single word of your conversation! My companion and I had tried covering our ears, but to no avail."

 _Every single word,_ Tsukasa repeated internally.

"As I had not yet paid my deepest apologies to you, I was planning to wait until you finished your business with Ryuseitai, since my companion had informed me that the two of you likely had 'other things to do', to use his words. However, I did not expect…!" A remorseful expression crossed the swordsman's face.

"You did not expect?" Tsukasa prompted, as Leo didn't seem inclined to speak.

"That my senior brother had sacrificed valuable time to appease this disappointment of a junior!" The swordsman dropped to all fours. "I shall kowtow in apology!" He started repeatedly knocking his head against the road.

"Huh? I already told you I didn't mind, didn't I?"

"Let us us stop this bedlam first, Lord Tsukinaga!" Feeling a sense of deja vu, Tsukasa grabbed one of the swordsman's arms. Leo took the other, and they hauled the swordsman up to a relatively harmless kneeling position. "None of that 'revenge by shaming' nonsense, now."

Wordlessly, the one called Adonis arrived at the swordsman's side and prepared to follow in his companion’s footsteps. "Not you as well," Tsukasa ground out.

"'As we share steamed buns; so shall we face the blade together.' This is what Kanzaki has taught me."

"Indeed. Sincerity is shown through actions and not words alone. This is what Master… Former Master has taught me."

_Gods forbid this particular school of thought from taking in more students._

"Uh, so Kuro told you to crack your head open on the side of the road when trying to get your point across?" Leo looked confused. "Just how exactly is that blockhead Chancellor running the place now? Well, it's got nothing to do with me anymore."

_You tried to do the same thing earlier._

The swordsman, on the other hand, looked vaguely offended, but at least he knew now not to draw his blade at every other remark.

"Ooh, I kinda get what you're trying to get at here!" Leo pounded his fist in his palm. "Basically, me telling you that all's right as rain isn't enough to assuage your guilty conscience. You have to atone by doing something for me? Like, in the physical sense?"

"As expected of my senior brother!" Having been the recipient of it more times than he could count in the past, Tsukasa was no stranger to admiration. To Adonis, the swordsman jerked his head toward Leo, as if he were a child showing off his older brother, of whom rose above the common herd. Adonis smiled and nodded politely, seemingly happy for him.

"Okay. Well." He wondered how Leo had it in him to not appear chagrined as he addressed his apparent junior – because they were both embarrassments of the same feather, perhaps. "First off, no calling me your senior brother, got it? You know how it is."

 _How_ what _is_ , Tsukasa wondered. First the issue of the Tsukinaga family, now this - t was getting quite tiring, constantly being left out of the loop. Why was this Tsukinaga Leo known to everyone but him?

"Ergh… I just wanted to try saying senior brother once, is all." The swordsman looked up at Leo hesitantly, searchingly. "…Former Master thought of you often."

He didn't seem to find what he was looking for, and dropped his gaze with a sigh. Then he looked back up at Leo, determination shining in those violet eyes. "Tsukinaga-dono, I still wish to help you in whichever way I can."

The swordsman folded his hands in his lap and sat straighter. His poise spoke of a good family education. "Please allow me to exterminate the _jiangshi_ alongside you."

But if they were only storybook monstrosities, why did the two in front of him look so serious? A tally added yet again to the things he didn't know. "Why don't we have this conversation someplace more suited for doing that?" Tsukasa suggested. "As your patron, I should give you all a better reception."

"Why do we now have a patron, Kanzaki?" Adonis asked.

"I would like to know as well," the swordsman stage whispered back before turning back to Tsukasa. "You all?"

"Why, yes – did I perhaps stutter?" Tsukasa smiled amiably at him. "How may I refer to you?"

"Ah – we have forgotten to introduce ourselves!" The swordsman seemed to realize this only now. "Please forgive my misconduct. I am Souma of the Kanzaki clan, and my companion over here is Otogari Adonis. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, um, Young Master Suou, is that correct?"

Adonis nodded his head once in greeting, but otherwise did not say anything.

"So you have heard." Tsukasa said. "Well now, shall we?"

Then he remembered Hokuto and his clansmen. Home is not an option. To the tavern it is then. "Follow me."

"Young Master Suou~" Leo strode up to his side, leaving Souma and Adonis in the back. "Whyyy."

"Why what?"

"You didn't ditch them, either. Even though you think we're all annoying and such, you still don't tell them to scram. Why?"

"Brothers of the same sect should take care of each other. Even…" Tsukasa felt a pang in his heart as he spoke. "…Even if they no longer follow the same path. Why did you chose to help Lord Kanzaki even though you are obviously pressed for time? And besides, he is obviously eager to aid you in your purge against these _jiangshi_. Which I will be getting my explanation about." He gave Leo a meaningful look. 

"Eh…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now with concept art! First up is [Tsukasa's winter outfit](https://twitter.com/antlioness/status/908363252387667969). I haven't drawn in. Ages?
> 
> Also it occurred to me that I forgot to add a "graphic violence" warning for the previous chapter, so I went ahead and added one.
> 
> p.s: I'm (or rather, this story's) @antlioness on Twitter! Feel free to follow for chapter updates + concept art + side stories + miscellaneous trivia~
> 
>  
> 
> Notes:  
> * Yishui Mercs (易水傭兵團, yì shuǐ yōng bīng tuán): The name “Yishui” comes from the poem “Song of the Yi River” (《 易水歌 》, yì shuǐ ge) by Jing Ke(荊軻, jīng kē), most well-known for his failed assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang(秦始皇, qín shǐ huáng). The poem itself talks about his determination to succeed in his mission, albeit in a more solemn, stirring context.
> 
> * Expendable pawns: 死士(sǐshì) make up the ranks of the Yishui Mercs. The concept of 死士 is commonly employed in wuxia/period dramas - they are warriors who do not fear death, assassins trained (sometimes brainwashed) for the purpose of carrying out suicide attacks or protecting their lord, oftentimes to the death, hence why Lady Suou calls them “expendable pawns”.  
> tl;dr they’re mooks who exist only to show the might of the named, more important characters. (laugh
> 
> * asking for one’s age: so as to know whether you should address someone as you would your senior or your junior.
> 
> * Shooter of the Sun: Name comes from Chiaki’s card from the Dogfight scout.
> 
> * Li hexagram (離卦, lí guà):  
> One of the Five Classics, the I Ching (易經, yì jīng), is a book on divinitation/Chinese cosmology. The book is composed of the "names" (卦名, guà míng) of sixty-four "hexagrams" (卦, guà), their respective "hexagram statements" (彖傳, tuàn zhuàn / 象傳, xìang zhuàn), and their respective "line statements" (爻辭, yáo cí) – six per hexagram. These hexagrams are believed to be records of the Zhou dynasty, but in the current era, we of the common folk use them for fortune telling.  
> Li is the thirtieth hexagram. I've put the link for the English translation (by James Legge) of its hexgram/line statements below (because I'd probably do a shit job at explaining). You don't really need to understand the meanings of these hexagrams to enjoy the story though, aside from whatever the characters themselves say.  
> http://ctext.org/book-of-changes/li
> 
> * gui yuan: Also called long an. A fruit-bearing tree.


	4. Demon of the Heart – 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hokuto is cold, Leo tells his story, and a party to brave the desert's labyrinth is formed.

Apparently, it wasn’t snowing up north because of a drought – but he was still cold.

And bored.

_Really_ bored.

"T-the Master has been informed of your delay in returning home, Young Master." Looking like a frightened deer, the boy who addressed him turned his head this way and that, letting out a shudder.

"Cold, Tomoya?"

"No… no, I just…" Mashiro Tomoya's eyes darted around the perimeter once more before he fessed up. "Young Master, I just think that the Suou manor is a little…"

_Drafty._ "Imposing? Listless?" Hokuto also turned his attention back to their surroundings, watching his clansmen do their job. "It’s nothing to write home about."

"Ah… haha. Um, Young Master?" Tomoya faltered, though his eyes betrayed the anticipation that shone underneath his hesitance. "If there's time, could we go to the market district afterward? I… I want to pick a gift for Hajime."

"If there's time," Hokuto repeated. "If that's all, I'll be going back to work."

"Ah... y-yeah." Tomoya's nervousness seemed to be back in full force. Despite obviously not wanting to be left alone in unfamiliar territory, he took a step back and bowed low, as per requested by decorum. "Sorry for taking up so much of your time, Young Master."

Hokuto patted his head and left the room, after ensuring there were no problems with the inspection underway in the overturned dining room. He subtly tugged his fur-lined cloak closer around his body, even though it was doing – frankly speaking – a shit job against the weather.

Lord Suou was inspecting something on the ground, but he turned when Hokuto approached him. "Your clansmen will be staying with us for the night."

Forcing his stiff joints into action, Hokuto gave a slight bow. "Thank you for the hospitality. Lord Suou, that is…?"

On the ground lay a green slate broken unevenly into three parts. The curved ridges on it reminded him of a roof tile.

_In fact, it probably is one._ A skyward look confirmed that the fragment had indeed broken off from the roof above them.

By what – that was the real question here.

"This is an old building," Lord Suou stated. "Natural wear and decay causes things to fall apart, naturally."

Hokuto stared at him, unsure if he was joking or not.

"Incidentally, we had a few vagrants having a party of their own on my rooftop last night. Three perhaps, judging from the frequency of their footsteps. One of them took a fall in my courtyard. I assume you will want speak with him."

_Oh. Good._ "Yes. But if this man is a traveler, we would have to chase him down first before we can call this case closed."

"Don't bother. We will bring him to you. It will take two days at most. Is this acceptable?"

It was not really a question. "Yes. However, I will still have to commence my investigation."

No reply. Hokuto took that as his cue to act.

Feeling the familiar swirl of energy in his spleen as he gathered his qi, he bent his knees, then jumped.

He let the surge of his _qi_ ebb as he landed on the roof, barely making a sound as he did. He crouched down to search for any evidence of activity, though he had already arrived at a conclusion he was almost certain was true.

_Obviously those three party horses are unrelated to the incident – Lord Suou would have had them caught and tried long before I arrived if they were. It was likely just coincidence that they appeared on that day. But is our clan witnessing the aftermath also a chance occurrence? The date for my trip north had been preordained some time ago, and the same should be true for the attack on the Suou manor. Is it possible that these two events were staged to concur with each other?_

_Of course this could just be another coincidence, if not for the fact that one of my father's oldest and most loyal subordinates - all of who have apparently had several encounters with Yishui assassins and are now quite sensitive to Killing Intent, apparently, was in my entourage. I always thought it was strange - with me delivering the invitation, was there really a need for him to come along? It’s… almost as if we were meant to find out about this incident._

Lord Suou was already gone when Hokuto looked downward, as if the other had anticipated there would not have been anything of importance to report. Hokuto let out a huff, watching the small white cloud that formed, then dropped back to the ground. Was the outdoors always this cold, or was it just the weather up north throwing him its worst?

_If Lord Suou has time to lead us on a wild goose hunt, he should think of how to fend against another one of Father’s contrived conspiracies,_ Hokuto thought with no small amount of annoyance. _Everyone and their mother knows that Father and Lord Suou are on bad terms with each other, so it makes sense that Father would want to put the Suous in a bad spot. So he…_

Hokuto's eyes widened as he realized just what exactly he had been thinking.

_No. Not possible. There's no way Father would sell out our country. He wouldn't have collaborated with the Northern Alliance to bring down the Suou clan… would he?_

It was a terrible thought to have.

_I'm… just jumping to conclusions, aren't I? Must be the cold getting to my head. But still… even though I only have instinct to prove my accusation, I think there’s no way Father isn’t involved in this business._

“Young Master.” He was offered a hand furnace by Tomoya, who was warming himself with one of his own. “Do you want one?”

_Yes._ “I’m fine.” He was not going to show his vulnerable side to the enemy. “Our work should be finished up shortly, so we’ll probably have a lot of time to look around the market district.”

“Eh, really? Shopping with Young Master… hehe…”

_What about buying a gift for Shino-kun,_ Hokuto thought. _Speaking of gifts, I wonder if I should buy that idiot something as an apology?_

A image of a man with hair the color of warmth and blue eyes a shade lighter than his drifted into his mind. Except instead of their usual luster, they now contained a maelstrom of hurt and longing. Longing for that _something_ that had always existed between them – now in shambles upon the utterance of three forbidden words.

_Wait, why do I have to apologize? It was… for the best, what I did. I'm sure of it._

One of his clansmen came up to him. "Young Master."

"Yes, let me hear it."

_…He'd probably say it's a waste of perfectly good daiya, anyway._

  


\----

  


"To make sure we are all on the same page, allow me to summarize all that we have learned from Tsukinaga-san's story. I kindly ask that there not be any interruptions."

Four sets of heads nodded at him.

"Thank you for your cooperation. First of all, Tsukinaga-san's friend, Sena Izumi - whom I shall hereby refer to as Sena-san - is an anima who can create mirages. More specifically, the ones that show before delirious stragglers in the desert."

Leo opened his mouth wide, as if to protest, then hurriedly clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Anima are beings born from peoples' faith in their existence, or are inanimate objects brought to life by cultivation from Sun-Moon Essence, which, in layman's terms, can be defined as the natural energy of the world."

Adonis glanced at Souma, who shrugged in return.

"Sena-san has currently hidden himself within the bowels of a necropolis that many know as the Silent Warzone. However, the tunnels of this Silent Warzone are currently swarming with hordes of _jiangshi._

" _Jiangshi_ are the walking dead. These reanimated corpses usually wander the lands aimlessly, converting living organisms into members of their race by contact with their body fluids, so even a growing patch of weeds could possibly be a... _pathogen_. Those capable of movement turn especially violent when they encounter those of higher enlightenment - such as humans.”

Drumming his fingers on the table, Leo bounced in his seat restlessly.

“They cannot be killed by conventional means, do not appear to be responsive to pain, heal off any damage done to them - such as the mending of cuts that would have been a grave injury to any other normal person, or the reattachment of severed body parts – thus rendering it difficult to stop them from wrecking havoc. Only two ways to annihilate them have been discovered – one is to burn them with fire until naught is left but their ashes, from which they cannot reform; the other is to cut them down with the Five Swords of Beginning - the legendary swords said to have once been wielded by the creator gods. One of them being the sword Kanzaki-san now carries across his back."

Nodding eagerly, Souma made to draw the aforementioned impressive, two-meter double-handed sword, but Adonis and Leo wordlessly held him back.

"Another is currently in Tsukinaga-san's possession… which rightfully belongs to Anzu-san here, as she is the anima of this sword. Tsukinaga-san found Anzu-san when she was severely wounded after escaping her pursuers, and in return she has agreed to lend her blade to aid Tsukinaga-san's cause."

The last occupant of their table of five – the girl who had been introduced as Anzu – bowed her head at him in confirmation.

"Incidentally, the reason Anzu-san had not shown herself before us earlier is simply because Tsukinaga-san did not provide her an opening to."

_That's my fault?_ was etched into the arch of Leo's brows.

"The above statements are all the facts we have learned from Tsukinaga-san's side. What follows is information of dubious quality or mere speculation our company has cohesively brought up. As Tsukinaga-san has said, the epicenter of the mirage seems to be located in Jiuquan. Thus, we can deduce that Sena-san's mirage may be a defensive barrier to prevent the _jiangshi_ from pinpointing his location within the twisting pathways of the Silent Warzone. The drought which plagues us is likely a result of this mirage tampering with reality, however that may have happened. It takes the form of a drought likely because the water vapor is being used to sustain Sena-san’s mirage.

"We do not know how Sena-san landed himself in that predicament, nor do we know why there are hordes of _jiangshi_ in the first place, since according to Kanzaki-san, there has not been an outbreak for decades. Though it can be assumed that the latter is a result of the former, due to the _jiangshis'_ penchant for seeking higher enlightenment and power. Also, for the dry spell to have spread over from Jiuquan to here means that this has been going on for quite some time, and if the problem is not resolved, all of Shenzhou will eventually be affected.” _And we can all guess what will happen to Sena-san then._ “If there is anything else you would like to add, you may do so now."

"You mean a _shen_ anima," Leo immediately piped up. "Like the one from the four-word idiom. Otherwise, that sums it up nicely. Good job, good job~"

"Your praise is unnecessary. Now then, shall we?" Souma, and Anzu nodded, and the three of them made to stand.

"Wait wait wait."

"Oh? How unlike you to be the one telling others to do that, Tsukinaga-san."

"You're not coming with me. Except Anzu, since you kinda have to."

"I will go to exterminate the _jiangshi_ with you, Tsukinaga-dono!" Souma declared. "I beg of you. I have fought and killed those abominations for many years, so I will not be a liability. Also… there is something I must confirm within the Silent Warzone. If it is swarmed as you say, then it is best that we partner up for the time being."

"An ulterior motive!" Leo broke out into a cheery grin. " Welcome to the party, then."

"Do I not get the warm welcome?" Tsukasa held Leo's gaze. "As your patron, I must supervise your every action."

Leo stared back, his grin unfettered. "Resorting to authority – you humans haven't changed a bit. I thought you were an interesting find, but I guess one can only expect so much outta you folk after all!"

"…Excuse me?"

"This isn't the hunting game of an emperor and his merry men , kid. We're up against one of the most dangerous things this world has seen. If they so much as leave a scratch on you, you don't even get the sweet mercy of death."

"But they won't. Tsukinaga-san has the Shooter of the Sun, Kanzaki-san has his sword, and I can borrow Anzu-san's."

Anzu shifted uneasily in her seat, as if uncomfortable with the sudden tension in the room being directed her way.

Tsukasa pressed on, unfettered. "I do not mean to gloat, but I have remained undefeated in sparring matches against my peers – and my senior brothers whom I had fought before – ever since I took up the sword. You do not need two weapons in your arsenal for this fight, correct? Tsukinaga-san, why did you seek another when you already had one?"

"Sword anima are not swordsmen themselves – or in this case, swordswomen," Souma supplied helpfully, gathering his hair into a ponytail with swift, skilled fingers as he spoke. Anzu quickly nodded at his statement.

"Agh, why are you people all ganging up on me!" Leo rose from his seat. "Fiiine, if you all have a death wish, then let us honor it and the last moments of your life!"

_Ignoring the question again,_ Tsukasa noted. _That means there's something worth looking into there, then._

Then, _wait, why am I so invested in this man’s affairs?_

"I will remain here, as I do not have the means to combat those creatures," Adonis said.

"Model citizen, that one – why can't you kids all follow his example?" Leo grumbled, putting his hat back on his head as the rest of them filed out of the tavern. Anzu's form wavered, then dissipated into particles resembling tiny gold bits, which were all absorbed into Leo's sheath.

Tsukasa watched, fascinated. _A sword anima – the sentience of a powerful blade, according to them. So there truly are other supernatural powers in this world. Though I can't help but wonder why Kanzaki-san's Sword of Beginning doesn't have one, despite being the equal of Tsukinaga-san's._

"Do I have to have a death wish to join you?" he asked Leo. "Simply wishing to help because I have the ability to do so is not enough?"

_This power of mine can be used for something good. I'm sure of it._

Leo gave a half-hearted shrug and a perfunctory answer. “It’s not bad, I guess. Alright, without further delay, men! To a hole in the desert we go!"

"How are we to get there?" Souma asked.

"Hm, yes, about that. You might not like this part. This town is already like this – see, no snow!" Leo held out his hand, palm up, as one would do when catching falling snowflakes, and wiggled his fingers. "Just imagine how arid it is out there. Bad environment for the horses, and even camels, if they have those buggers here."

"Agreed." Souma nodded. "Though I long to ride a sleek, strong destrier once more, I suppose now is not the time."

"Our equestrian gentleman says it all. So we're going to speed-fly!"

"Fly?" Tsukasa repeated.

"Absolutely not." A hard edge entered Souma's voice. "As fellow exiles, Tsukinaga-dono, we should not be using those arts anymore."

_Exiles!?_

"Aaand there goes your resolution," Shaking his head, Leo let out a dramatic sigh. "Attaboy, you ramrod of integrity – as expected of Kuro's student. You wanted to see me as your senior brother, yes? Well then, let Senior Brother Tsukinaga Leo teach you something.

"I will do anything to save Izumi. _Anything._ Every person, every resource, every tiny particle of debris on the ground – if it helps make his life better, I’ll use it. I swear on my entire being that I will make him happier than every single one of those standoffish gods who frolic about in the clouds and relish in the suffering of-ow, ouch!?"

The bamboo hat fell to the ground as Leo clutched at his head in pain. "No dishonesty, don't slander your god, maintain the uniform – you made me drop the hat th-ouchnevermind, drink every last drop of your soup and lick the bowl clean too! I'm reflecting, I'm reflecting, I swear, so…! Whew, saved."

Picking his hat up off the floor, Leo dusted it and put it back in its rightful place. "Ahh, sorry for going off on a tangent there when I've always been telling you guys to hurry up!" 

"Tsukinaga-san, that was…" 

"A heated debate with my conscience!" Leo smirked at them, but it seemed quite forced to Tsukasa. Immensely. "Self-criticism is how I cultivate, see. Anyway. Kanzaki." 

Souma started. "Yes, Senior… Tsukinaga-dono." 

"Tactics and creeds are fixed. Real-time strategy and the gods' moves are fluid. Times change, and fate is capricious - can you really say that everything that Confucianism, which our ethics and social cues find their roots in, preaches is completely applicable to life a couple hundred years after it was put on a pedestal?" 

Leo undid the tie that kept the longsword on his back in place, and took it in his hands, sheathe and all. "I'm going to fly this thing. It might be a bumpy ride, because I haven't steered one in a while, but I'll do it. If you still can't abandon that principle of yours, that's fine too. Just means you've got your own priorities. No one here will think any less of you for that, right, Young Master Suou?" 

"I would be offended if you thought otherwise, Tsukinaga-san." 

"Oh, but then you'd have to find yourself a mount that can go a day and a night with a parched throat, though." Leo shrugged. "No easy task either, but one definitely worthy of praise if you nail it!" 

Souma let out a resigned sigh. "…We should ride on one sword then, and switch operators accordingly." 

Leo seemed to be taken aback by the suggestion. "Mm? That's… yeah, let's do that, then. I call first shots!" Holding the sword at arm's length, Leo shut his eyes as if concentrating, and the sheathed Sword of Beginning floated. 

Tsukasa gaped in wonder. 

"That worked! Thanks a bunch, Anzu!" Leo hopped onto the hovering sword, and extended a hand toward Tsukasa. "Come on, let's see if we can fit three people!" 

"I-wha-how… how is that possible? How does it hover unsupported and hold the weight of a human like so?" 

"Secrets of the trade call for sealed lips." With Leo's help, Tsukasa got onto the sword – _is it really alright to dirty this sword of legend with our dirtied shoes?_ – and found himself standing atop a weapon hovering a few inches off the ground. It was a good thing they left the tavern from the back. "That's two. Kanzaki?" 

Souma was light on his feet, landing behind them near the hilt soundlessly. 

"Three! Without further ado, take flight!" 

  


\---- 

  


"Chi~a~kiii…" 

"Wah!? W-who's this, challenging our-oh, Kanata-san. Good evening!" 

"Mm~" Kanata removed his hands from the bad doorguard’s eyes. "Chiaki is…?" 

"O-oh, well, uh…" Bad Doorguard - _Tetora_ , his mind corrected - let out a defeated sigh. "I was asked by him to hold you back if you stopped by, Kanata-san, but seeing how you got into my range like that, I don't think I could if I tried. I admit defeat…!" 

"Good for you... bye bye..." Kanata slid open the door leading to the room Tetora had just left through, and wandered inside. 

"…Kanata?" The agonizing heat both melting and regenerating his insides anew made it hard to think. Chiaki struggled to sit up, then let out a yelp and flattened the fuck back to the bed when something whizzed past his face, barely taking his nose with it. "Whoa!" 

Crisp wood splintered as that something lodged itself into the headboard just above him. "A… hammer…?" 

"Don't move." 

Chiaki obliged with the request, laying bonelessly still as Kanata came over to his bedside. Though it was he who broke the silence that had fallen between them. 

"Sorry for breaking our promise." Letting his head loll to the side, he let out a cough. "But-" 

"Apologize with 'sincerity'… or don't even speak to start with." Bright green eyes glared down at him in a rare display of anger. 

"I cannot _not_ help someone in trouble when I am their best solution." Chiaki sighed in relief as the heat tempered down somewhat when Kanata drew near. "Even if they are a stranger met by chance like patches of drifting duckweed. Especially if they are a friend. For this, I truly am sorry. Sorry that I am like this." 

"'Chiaki' is his own person, so it can't be helped…" A hint of a smile graced Kanata's features again., though a fraction of worry remained. "Whatever problems arise, we will take care of them together. Until the very end." 

"Thanks, Kanata." Chiaki's hands twitched in his lap, and he let them fall to the bed. "Ah, it pains me to know that I cannot touch you! How I would love to show you what a hug feels like, and also my appreciation for you and everything you've endeavored for my sake!" 

"…Eheh, eheheheh~" 

"Uh, I cannot determine whether you are happy or not with that frightening - ah, scratch that - enigmatically unique laughter. That aside...did I burn anything this time?" 

"You burned 'nothing' this time~" 

"Phew." The all-too-familiar haze in his mind had mostly cleared up, like clouds parting to reveal the sun once again, and he remembered Izumi's orange-haired wandering hero friend. "It was Tsukinaga who came to me this time. Another sacrifice to their goals… well, I have faith that Tsukinaga can end Sena's suffering and bring him salvation!" 

"You mean end 'Sena', whomever that may be, and bring him 'coveted death'… And I never asked about them, you know… Chiaki likes telling me all sorts of useless information, doesn't he…?" Kanata tilted his head in thought. "Though… does 'Tsukinaga' sound 'familiar'… or does it not…?" 

"Ah, damn, forgot to explain! Again!" Chiaki let out a sheepish grin. "Right, I shall start from the beginning, then! So this and that happened, and Tsukinaga and Sena got tied up with the chaos incarnates. You know, Tsukinaga Leo and Sena Izumi." 

"'This and that' tells me nothing, Chiaki…" 

"Well, truth be told, I do not know what happened there either!" 

"I don't really care though… oh?" Kanata's eyes widened. "I know a 'Tsukinaga'. Rei’s friend, correct... 'Sena Izumi'… hm…" 

"Yeah, that's the one! Good job, Kanata!" Forcing his still-sluggish limbs into action, Chiaki gave Kanata a thumbs up. "Wonder what he’ll do after this, though. Sena seemed really important to him." His expression grew sombre at the thought of their ill fates. 

"Who knows… though if he looks at us funny, I'll 'kill' him. Moreover, Chiakiii~" Kanata said his name with a happy note, as if he hadn't just rang the death knell for someone’s life. "Do you know why there are 'children' I haven't created…?" 

"If you did not conceive them, then they are not yours – that is how humans work, remember!" Chiaki reminded him. "I actually wanted to ask you about them, too! So you do not know either?" 

"Hm… so Chiaki really doesn't suspect 'me'…?" Kanata stared at him with large, unblinking eyes. "Since Chiaki took back 'Ryuseitai', he has started leaving me to 'my own devices', has he not…?" 

"Have I made you lonely? You can always come to visit, you know! I always welcome allies of Ryuseitai with open arms. Erm, not literally speaking in our case, though." 

"Chiaki… answer the question…" 

"Right, right. Sorry!" Chiaki laughed. "I trust you, Kanata! Besides, the desert is probably the last place you would go play in, right?" 

"Yes… this time, I have been a 'good child'… But Chiaki on the other hand… helping others at the expense of 'his own life'… tsk tsk…" 

"W-well, uh." 

"Sigh…" Kanata let out an annoyed huff. "Please think these things more thoroughly… is what I want to say… but it seems that I am not the best at making decisions either… Time and time again, I…" 

"None of that, Kanata. We can only try our best, and learn from our mistakes." 

"I know… so Chiaki~" Kanata gripped the handle of the hammer above Chiaki's head, dislodging it with a single tug. "'Try your best' and rest properly~" 

"Uh, I have wanted to ask since you threw it at me, but what is with this hammer…?" 

"A souvenir I 'borrowed'~" 

"That does not make much sense, but alright I guess. Hey... we have been chatting for awhile now, have we not? Are you feeling okay?" 

It hurt to be the cause of that crestfallen look. "I should… probably go now, right…" 

"…Yeah. Thanks for stopping by. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" 

"You too," Kanata said, suddenly turning away from him to gaze outside the window. The sun was setting, shedding its last rays of light over the town and the planes of Kanata’s face. "Camaraderie is transient. All bonds to this mortal world are broken upon death. If you 'die'… so do 'I', and the rest of this world will follow as sacrifices… along with those friends of yours. So please… protect 'yourself' when it is necessary." 

He looked over his shoulder at Chiaki. " _Please._ I… 'I' don't want this to end…" 

"Alright. I will." What else could he have said to make things better? 

Kanata's gaze dropped lower. His left hand reached out, as if to grip… 

Chiaki’s first instinct was to jerk his hand back. 

The bandaged left hand paused its pursuit. 

"Sorry, I-" 

"Shh… no apologizing…" Kanata smiled and shook his head, as if telling him not to worry. The extended arm fell back to his side. "The heart knows what 'you' want best… good…" 

"Yes, it does," Chiaki said, and he felt more sure in saying this than he had toward anything else over the past few days, months, years. "It knows that no matter who we must become or what destiny we must fulfill, nothing can change the fact that I love you, forever and always." 

His statement was met with elation, then despondence. "'I' love 'you', too… Chiaki." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More characters. Lots of foreshadowing, too.
> 
> Next chapter has (slightly) more action.
> 
>  
> 
> Notes:  
> * shen (蜃, shèn): a shapeshifting clam, aquatic dragon, or sea monster believed to create mirages. The four-word idiom Leo refers to is 海市蜃樓, which is basically synonomous to Valkyrie's song 砂上ノ楼閣.
> 
> * Sun-Moon Essence (日月精華, rì yuè jīng huá): exactly how Tsukasa describes it; I just wanted to put the Chinese term here.
> 
> * jiangshi (殭屍, jīang shī): same as above.
> 
> * Jiuquan (酒泉, jiǔ quán): a town based off Jiuquan, a city in the northwestern region of the Gansu Province of China. The name means "spring of wine".
> 
> * Shenzhou (神州, shén zhōu): one of the names of China, as coined by the Chinese. The name means "land of the gods" or "divine land".
> 
> * fate is capricious: original text is 天命靡常.
> 
> * met by chance like patches of drifting duckweed: original text is 萍水相逢.

**Author's Note:**

> Acknowledgements: My younger sister, for falling into Enstars hell with me, listening to me blab on and on about this train wreck, and making me fall in love with a lot of characters I didn't originally think I would. Without her, this fic would have never been possible. Thank you!
> 
> Thanks for picking this up! (seriously, thanks) I suggest you put it back down though if you are put off by:  
> \- potential ooc-ness  
> \- broken and breaking characters  
> \- ships sinking  
> \- the writing ability of a barbarian (who pretends to be an intellectual)  
> \- slow updates  
> Otherwise, please enjoy~
> 
> I'll give another warning for tags like attempted rape or drug-induced sex before the chapter it's in starts. For major character deaths(idol boys) I'll put the warning at the beginning of the arc.
> 
> Feel free to comment and tell me your thoughts!
> 
> Twitter: @[antlioness](https://twitter.com/antlioness)! I'll be posting chapter updates + concept art + side stories + miscellaneous trivia there~


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